Hunting the Fairy Tale

Chapter 20 - Wounds and Meltdowns

Hunter sighs a little exasperated, but he manages to give her a half-hearted smile. "It's barely even there-"

"It's bleeding, how can that mean that it's barely there? And that during training. Weren't you wearing a head guard? I don't know what your dad and Devan are thinking, letting you boys do that dangerous sport..."

"I always wear one."

"Obviously not one of those that covers your entire face. You should wear those. You should wear full body armour! Twenty-four hours a day!"

Hunter wearing full body armour 24 hours a day would definitely have been very helpful on my first morning here and that evening on the beach. I blush at the memories of walking in on him while he was naked and of feeling the evidence of his arousal on the beach. Those memories always make me feel a little breathless. If he wears full body armour, it would definitely save me from myself.

Hunter sighs, his irritation increasing, this is clearly an old argument. "It was just a mistake, Ma. My fault. I lost focus for a second and Ash's kick connected..."

"Asher?!" Aunt Beth gasps.

Hunter winces, he clearly regrets mentioning his friend's name. His mother shakes her head, gently removing the band-aid from his injury. "Honey, you cannot lose focus when you're sparring with Ash! He's a black belt candidate and he's so damn strong too! He could actually kill you! And then he'd cry himself to death and commit suicide. You know he hates hurting his friends. Poor Ash, he must be feeling traumatised right now," she adds sounding sad, pouring disinfectant on a cotton ball.

Hunter frowns at her, blinking slowly. "Wow, that got dark really fast," he gives an amused laugh. "Why would he commit suicide if he'd already cried himself to death? Sounds like too much effort to me."

Aunt Beth slaps his shoulder. "Stop it, I'm being serious," she snorts, trying to suppress a laugh of her own. "Why would you lose focus? You never lose focus during training."

♫

Hunter

I glance at Willow. She's standing on the other side of the island, peeling potatoes, uneasily peeking at me from under her long lashes. Why indeed? I'd been worried about having left Miss Priss with Jake and Paisley. I knew I was being stupid. It's not like I left her in some slum or on the highway or with gangsters, but still...

Yesterday I took a hard knock to my ribs during rugby because I left her with Asher. I kept on seeing her nervously peering at me from the helmet. I'm glad Ma didn't see the big bruise I have because of it. She would tie me to my bed. The woman has threatened to bubblewrap me so many times, I'm starting to think she has a fetish.

I don't know what's wrong with me. Willow is safer with Jake and Asher than she'd ever be with me. Hell, I proved that on the beach a couple of nights ago. I'll trust those guys with the lives of everybody that I love.

I just don't like leaving Willow behind. Not alone or with anybody. It makes no sense at all. Being so over-protective is just weird. Nothing makes sense anymore. Something about Willow is increasingly making me want to wrap her in cotton and hide her in a box. In a non-serial killer kind of way, of course.

And then there was today, the way she took care of Paisley in spite of clearly feeling extremely uncomfortable and flustered. She'd been so friggin' kind and gentle.

I don't like the way the other guys are beginning to look at her. They are going to start asking her out, I can see it on their faces. Even Declan is acting strange and he is usually so refreshingly uncomplicated. Dex is such a great guy, I should encourage him to go for it if he really is interested in Willow...